Tag: Rainy days

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Rainy days and Photophbia

Posted on by One Vision

Whilst waiting in the bus station on one of our coldest, wettest days of the year so far (I think so anyway) I thought I would write a little blog about how the wet weather and rain affects my vision and my photophobia in particular.

Photophobia isn’t just about the suns glare. It’s any glare. Light, water and otherwise too. I’ve even had it from glass and coins. I’ve found coins because of it though 😉
My bus back home has missed yet again and because of the weather the Uber fares are quite expensive, so I’m sitting it out until the next bus. Fingers crossed everyone that that one comes.

I made a graphic last night to explain this. A real photograph of my trip into my home city the other late afternoon and a doctored one to get the nearest depiction of what glare does to my eyesight.

I do get glare through the day, any day, not just summer sun. The light and glare can bounce of cars, appears brightly around corners. Especially if sat in a moving vehicle which I try to catch as I’m now very used to avoiding bright light and where it appears from.

In the late afternoon and evening, this also happens as the light drops into darkness from traffic lights, shop lighting and wet surfaces, puddles etc.

This is nearly exactly what I see.

It hinders my confidence getting around in the low light. It also makes things seem alot blurrier. Which I’m blurry anyway without this adding to the effect.

The pavements seem to shine. Reflect back at me.

I cannot wear my usual trusty sunglasses I have through the day all year, as they make it too dark to see at all.

It’s very hard to explain what I see. Especially as I seem to get around sort of ok with no white cane as yet, to help. This is something I’m going to have to sort out though.

You just can’t see the cogs whirring inside my brain checking out all the possible dangers. It is abit like a duck or a swan gliding around.

I wear grippy boots because I’m frightened of falling again if it’s dark and wet.

You just cannot see my frantic feet peddling away getting me around.

It does help knowing extremely well, my route around the city I’ve been visiting all my life.

Anywhere I don’t know, I wouldn’t march around so quickly.

A late afternoon darkness descends on a city. Traffic lights are at red and the wet precinct gradually goes down the hill. The sky is a darkening blue colour. The shop lights are on brightly as its just near closing time.
PD 1 A late afternoon darkness descends on a city. Traffic lights are at red and the wet precinct gradually goes down the hill. The sky is a darkening blue colour. The shop lights are on brightly as its just near closing time.
The same photograph as PD 1. The view is blurrier. The red traffic lights are elongated and brighter. Stretching towards the foreground. The shop lights are very bright now. They take up some of the pavement. The pavement shines because of the wet weather.
PD 2 The same photograph as PD 1. The view is blurrier. The red traffic lights are elongated and brighter. Stretching towards the foreground. The shop lights are very bright now. They take up some of the pavement. The pavement shines because of the wet weather.